


Of Swords and Cats

by KuraiOfAnagura



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Adventure, All the violence that's in a fantasy adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Basically your classic fantasy adventure, Fae & Fairies, M/M, Magic, Magical Cat Yuri, Magical Creatures, Reversbang, Shapeshifting, Warrior Otabek, yurioniceshelter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-04 03:29:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10982427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuraiOfAnagura/pseuds/KuraiOfAnagura
Summary: Otabek, a mercenary due to circumstances, gets caught up in a adventure full of magical beasts, mind binding talismans and beautiful blond creatures.That's just what you get when you save a cat.Tough luck when it's a magical one.





	Of Swords and Cats

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank my wonderful artist FluffyWulfy, whose artwork caught my eye during the first stroll I had through the gallery.  
> Thank you so much dear, it was wonderfull spinning this story with you.  
> Also thanks to Otabeaplisetsky for beta-ing my work :) https://otabaeplisetsky.tumblr.com/  
> And last but not least a big fat thank you to the mods of yurioniceshelter for their work and that I could be part of such a great project. It was a lot of fun!

 

 

Prologue

_Don’t go into the woods after dark_ , she’d whisper to him. Her gnarly hands fragile to the eye, yet her touch was like iron. Dry wood, thin paper, locked around his wrist. His grandmother, head of the family now that his father was gone _. Don’t go or you might get lost. And we don’t want to lose our little Beka, do we?_ Her eyes watery and moist, boring into his. The first son. Finally, after three daughters. Finally, a man in the house, no matter how tiny and young he may be.

 _Why not_ , he would ask, voice still small and that of a child. Too frail for the expectations placed on his shoulders.

 _There’s magic_. She’d say, spitting the last word like a curse. _It creeps out of the wood, out for the air and it will eat you!_

He didn’t want to disobey his Grandmother. He really didn’t! But the trail of soft catlike paw prints, leading from their barn into the woods was just too interesting to ignore. What if the cat needed his help? And besides, he’d just go into the undergrowth behind the house. He’d turn as soon as he couldn’t see his home anymore.  
Or so he had thought.  
But night has come already and he was still following the trail. Whenever he thought he might’ve lost it, another paw print would catch his eye. Surely it was a trick of the shadows that they were glowing in a low light, right? From his ventures into the forest he knew he’d reach a lake soon, but after sundown nothing looked familiar and Otabek was starting to question his decision.  
It was soon after that realization that the branches around him thinned and with a wave of relief he recognized the big foundling that marked the entrance to the little lake’s clearing.  
He stopped dead in his steps.

It was beautiful. Not even when he was older and more experienced he got to wholeheartedly grasp in words what he saw at that night. It was summer, yet the surface of the lake glistered in a thick layer of ice; crystals had grown up high and towering. His breath got caught in a white cloud before his nose.  
The ice might’ve been imposing on its own, but the fire was what made it beautiful. It was a flame unlike any he’d ever seen before. Nothing like the dull and lifeless orange and red he knew from his mother’s heard. It was red. Red and purpleand so full of life; a heartbeat made visible for the naked eye. Crimson and purple and it burned on the ice. The flame danced among it, leaving little offshoots wherever it tread. Otabek squinted his eyes and in the blink of the moment that the flame had leapt on a high pillar he could make out a small form within the liking tongues of red.

A cat.

Suddenly the low glow of the paw prints made sense. The dancing of the flickering flame continued, sending more lights and sparkles on its way. Swirling and… mesmerizing.  
The young boy felt his mind slipping. His body grew lax and tired, his thoughts became sluggish. And in the back of his head he remembered the feeling of old skin on his and the words his grandmother had whispered. Maybe this was it? Has he fallen into the trap that was the magic his elder despised so much? But how could something this ethereal mean him any harm?

For the first time in his trance he noticed the lone figure in the middle of it all. A sole ringmaster, commanding the ice to grow and bow to his will; orchestrating the dance of the flame with the tips of his fingers. As the firey ball passed him closely Otabek could make out silvery hair that flew and glistered like the ice itself.

The flameclad cat went back to dance in circles around the ringmaster, hoping from crystal to pillar and back to the frozen surface, leaving more and more little flames in its wake. The boy in his daze was sure of it, whatever they might create here, it was drawing to an end.

And suddenly the frozen structures were swaying in an earth shattering roar. It was a moment frozen in time as the flames stilled and a big brown bear leapt into the middle of the ring. Rising in a figure as if it was a little girl jumping over a bonfire. Its massive paws stretched wide in a huge split, head held high regally.  
The next things happened fast and Otabek’s not really sure if he remembers it correctly. But the catflame went rigid, just to flare up in the next moment. Its human ringmaster rising one hand as if to fend off the dancing beast and the fire consumed the whole ring. Bigger and bigger it got until all the boy could see was vermilion and lilac and then the black.

\--

His back was stiff and his face hurt as if he’d spent a day too long in the summer’s sun. But the air above him was clear and the singing of the wood’s birds reached his ears as he woke up in the shadow of the big foundling.  
With a pang the pictures from the previous night flooded back into his mind and he clutched his head. Surely this had to be a dream? But when he started to inspect the clearing he could still see chunks of ice in the lake, slowly thawing in the growing sun. And those had to be the tracks of a bear in the mud? Next to the delicate paw prints?  
Otabek was about to turn home when something caught his eye. A little glittering something at the water’s edge. Not caring about his wet trousers he knelt down and carefully plucked a single purplefeather out of the reed. Strangely enough it wasn’t wet and when he twirled it between his fingers little sparks flared to life, dancing in the light.  
He would have to hide it from his grandmother. Or his sisters. Something that sparkly would surely catch their interest, he mused as he finally made his way home. And hopefully he would also find a good excuse why he spent the night in the woods.

\--

The reed shifted and quivered. Katsuki Yuuri, stark naked and with a head splitting headache sat up and carefully lifted a frog from his bare torso. Disheveled and disorientated he took a look around.  
He neither had an idea where he was nor how he came to this place. He swore to himself to never accept any kindof liquid that Pixie Phichit offered him. Groaning under his breath he got up on wobbly feet. With a heavy sigh he detangled his pelt out of the lake’s greenery and tried to shake out most of the water.  
Urgh, he hated wet fur.  
In one fluid motion he swung the pelt over his bare shoulders and the giant bear trotted slowly back into the opposite direction.

 

 

Of Swords and Cats  


“Altin, over here, you take the right flank.”

He nodded briskly at his Captain and marched toward his designated post. A lot has happened since that one night at the lake and Otabek had come to the understanding that magic was much more common than his grandmother would’ve wished for. Maybe she would’ve also wished for him to work in a field less bloody and likely to die at any given moment, but since she was dead herself by now it was all whistful thinking altogether.  
Never would he have pictured himself as a sell sword in a group of mercenaries, not when his childhood dreams had been occupied with heroes, glimmering swords, chivalrous deeds, and breathtaking adventures. But with a sick mother and his three unmarried sisters at home (they’d never managed to get the dowry for all three of them together), he wasn’t in the place to argue how he earned his money.  
Brushing the dust of the road from his face he straightened the short sword on his back, his spear in a tight grip.

“Yo, Otabek!”

He sighed deeply, yet turned to face his companion. His fellow fighters were a funny bunch, Mezir being the most ridiculous of them. As diverse as their backgrounds, yet they were sometimes a little too crude for his liking.

“Wanna go watch the mermaids when we make camp? The water’s all murky, but I’m pretty sure you can see the boobs just fine!”  
Just like that.

 

He held his companions dearly, as you cannot be weary of your brother's in arms on the battlefield But that didn't mean he had to enjoy their antics whenever they were off to such a mediocre job like this one.

The task to guard traveling merchants didn't fall that often to his group, since their price was nothing to be taken lightly. Yet this particular vendors dealt with goods that held such a high value that it justified this heavy level of protection. Magical creatures were mighty beings and humans always were eager to leach off of their power. The scales of a mermaid could save a drowning man, their hair spun the tightest ropes if used on the sea and their beauty appealed the most stone hearted lord. Aside from the fish woman (and yes, if he looked closely he could see their boobs in the murky water of the dull little tank. But he could also see their faces and the broken desperation on them. It reminded him too much of himself so he never went too close to them), the merchants carried all kinds of magical animals and half-humans alike this time. The two most high priced goods in this job were a real unicorn (immortality, no matter to which price, was something most humans longed for. Otabek could honestly not understand its appeal.) and two elven twins. The latter one were responsible for two attacks on the caravan by their family, which'd already tracked the merchants down.

His companion left him with a hearty laugh and a rough pat to the shoulder. After all it was not long until they would have to make camp for the night. Otabek suppressed yet another heavy sigh and let his gaze wander over the cart to his left. It carried all sizes of smaller and slightly bigger cages, all made out of crude iron or related metals, that held a various assortment of smaller creatures. There were birds in colors Otabek had never seen in his life before, squirrel like creatures that hid in all the fur of their tails. It was easy for him to imagine the noises they would usually produce, all their chirping and clattering. Yet an nearly deathly silence hung over the whole carriage. Otabek knew from experience that not only the iron of their confinements dazed them, but most were wearing talismans and spells that kept them in a permanent trance.  
Suddenly he could understand the heartbroken look on the mermaids face again and felt bile rising in the back of his throat.  
This wasn't what he wanted to do with his life. Rather he'd be among those elven riders that struggled to rescue their kind and free the other creatures from the doom of slavery.

 

The beginning of the hassle that his life was about to become started at the evening when the merchants and mercenaries alike prepared to arrange the carts in a crude circle with several bonfires around them. Otabek was about to shed his travelers bag as he heard a high pitched animalistic screech from the cart with the smaller critters. It reminded him of a cat. Without thinking he dropped his garb and hastened towards the source of the noise. He rounded the cage of a drowsy Chimera just in time to see how one of the handlers tried to fend off a small black cat with both of his hands that tried its best to claw his eyes out. With one quick move he griped one of the cat's hind legs and swung the little creature violently against the wooden wheel. The audible crack resonated sickly in Otabek's stomach.  
Seething and cursing under his breath the handler wiped his bloodied and scratched face with his dirty hand and looked left and right on the ground until he found a log of firewood and bent down to grab it. Otabek registered the dark red splash on the wheel and his eyes darted to the limb furry ball beneath it; weakly trying to get up, yet it was obvious its limbs wouldn't obey it. The handler hauled off high with his improvised club and as his hand was about to sear down he was stopped dead in his track by an iron grip around his arm. As if startled out of a haze the handler blinked with wide eyes at the grim looking sell sword. Those dark eyes bore into his and he suddenly felt his violence draining. With a stubborn look he jerked hard to free his arm.

“Any problems, soldier?” Those stoic features wouldn't be budged.

“I don't like it when somebody kills defenseless animals.”

“That's not an animal, that's a demon! Little bastard would've blinded me!”

“It was just trying to defend itself.”

“And I was just trying to feed it! Ungrateful bitch!” He was about to deliver a kick on the motionless cat on the ground, but stopped as soon as he felt Otabek shift beside him.

“It can't be that valuable if you treat it like this. That's a bad business philosophy if I've ever seen one.”

“Why? You thinking about purchasing it?”

“Maybe I am?”

Too late Otabek noticed the subtle shift and the hard glint in the merchants eyes.

“Well, you know, you're kinda right, he's not worth much anymore. That outburst surely showed it's defective in some way. And goods we can't control we won't sell. But it's still a cat of good fortune, so we at least can sell its parts. You see, particular its twin tails can fetch a little something, eh?”

Otabek remained silent.

“Ok, Soldier, here's the deal. Since you've been so kind and prevented me from killing one of our goods... damn, the Master would've chewed my ear off! Anyway, since you've done me a favor I can help you in finalizing your little rescue act and sell you the critter for... let's say... 10 gold pieces?”

Otabek was for once thankful of his unresponsive faceas it didn't fell on the price. Ten gold pieces was nearly his whole pay he got from this job. The guy seemed to sense his unease, though.

“Tell you what? I like you! You're a good guy. So I'll sell you the cat for seven gold pieces and charge you just three for the cage. And yes, you'll need it. My bloodied face is proof of that!”

With a gleeful smile he offered his hand. Agonizingly slowly Otabek clasped in and they shook. Equally cautiously he bent down and carefully picked the still bleeding bundle of fur up and cradled it against his stomach; not caring of the blood that may stain his harness.

“Well, there you go, mate!” With that the handler heaved the iron cage down and marched back to the center of the ring. Otabek watched him until disappeared behind a tent. Only then he bent down again to take the surprisingly heavy cage up and marched back to the fire where he'd left his stuff.

 

Back at the fire the young mercenary finally got to get to examine his latest possession in the last light of the day. He produced a cloth from his backpack and carefully dipped at the bleeding wound of the cat in his lap. It's fur wasn't black as he'd thought, but rather a very dark shade of plum. Through the dark fur went stripes of color, a deep red that bled into lilac and it tucked something in his memory briefly. Like a dream he'd ought to catch in the morning. As soon as it came the sensation was gone, leaving only a hollow part in his stomach. The red fur had a different texture, much more like tiny thick feathers. It cuffed every paw and the tips of the split tail equally.

Suddenly the cat opened its eyes and Otabek found himself in a piercing green stare. Judging from the movements the critter tried to escape him; he made soothing sound and stroke the quivering flank.

“Don't worry, little one. I won't hurt you. You're safe with me.” As if it was giving up the cat closed its eye again and Otabek was sure it had fallen asleep.

 

–

 

Otabek cursed himself as the hot sun shone down on the caravan and his sweating self. Besides his heavy pack he'd also strapped the cage on top of it, by now staggering under its weight. The magical cat had been awake, yet whenever Otabek's hand came close to the bars it hissed low and dangerous in warning. Thankfully it was the last day and if they marched like scheduled they would reach their destination in the early noon.

He hadn't figured out yet what to do with the cat. Mostly because he didn't know where its magical abilities lay. He'd thought about giving it to his mother. Another ratter was always welcome in their house. But if it proofed to be too dangerous maybe he would just set him free.

Hah, ten gold pieces for a free cat.

 

His companions had teased him relentlessly about his new “pet”, trying to stick their fingers through the bars to anger it. His captain had pulled him aside and had given him a very stern lecture as not to get himself involved with his clients and that such weak and feeble behavior would get him killed on the battlefield.

Yet he couldn't bring himself to regret his actions.

 

“Man, Beks, I'm telling ya. In my next life I'm going to be a sailor...” Otabek merely grunted as he helped to unload the goods onto the market place.

“Shouldn't you strive to be a noble? Then you could buy a mermaid and watch her all day?”

“Don't be an idiot! Their real beauty can only unfold beneath the foam of the waves...” At this Otabek stopped and looked in disbelieve at his partner.

“Just imagine how these boobs would look with a tiny peck of sea foam on top of them! ….ey! Otabek! Wait for me!”

 

–

 

The stronghold of his division was placed just a few feet outside of the city's gate. He was actually pretty sure it was an old prison, turned makeshift barracks. But he wasn't one to complain since it allowed him to have his own room, no matter how small it may be, rather than sleeping in the grand hall like the rookies. Besides the bed he'd shared with his family this was the closest he'd come to call home in all of his years as a traveling sell sword.  
Otabek was tired as he closed the door behind him and placed his stuff on the small table. His sword went next to the bed, his other weapons had been returned to the armory. He yearned to wash the grime of the travel from him, yet he knew that the bathing area was a war zone by now and he opted to take his waiting.

Cautiously he placed the cage besides his bag as he stripped out of his outer tunic. The cat eyed him warily through the bars, still kinda limply laying on its side.  
Otabek made the same soothing sounds as he did at the bonfire as he carefully reached inside and wound his fingers around the surprisingly warm body. He squinted his eyes as needle like claws dug into his skin, but otherwise the cat didn't struggle Again he cradled the creature against his chest, before he placed it onto the rough blanket on his cot. Being free from the surrounding iron the cat blinked owlishly at him before a shiver ran through the small body, sending its fur standing straight and deflating again. Otabek couldn't help but chuckle a little. Slowly as not to startle it, he reached out and pet the cat behind the ears, feeling for its little collar. The cat gave a low growling sound and Otabek knew enough of cats as not to mistake it for purring. This was a warning.

He'd noticed the collar the first time he'd patched the critter up. It was thick leather and a metal patch with inscribed runes on the front. Probably the ward that kept it this subdued.

With one hand buried into the purple fur he held it down, while his other reached for his dagger in his boot. Upon the sight of the weapon the cat started to squirm in earnest, but Otabek held it firm.

“Don't struggle, little one,” he said and brought the sharp tip of the blade between the cat and the collar. In a few careful motions as not to strangulate it, he worked his way through the thick leather band and when it finally snapped away he felt a tremor running through the little creature.

“There. You should feel better soon.” Otabek massaged the now exposed neck before he turned around, starting to unpack is travelers bag.

When thinking back it was probably a stupid move to turn his back on a magical cat. But then again until then he didn't really have that much experience with mystical felines.  
Otabek heard a shuffling and the sound of something scrapping over the wooden floor. Curiously he turned around and registered two things before he blacked out. The first was a very beautiful but very naked blond boy in his room. The second thing was his copper chamber pot that came soaring towards his face in an very alarming speed.

 

–

 

Otabek woke up with knots in his back and a knife in his head. Or at least it felt that way. Oh, and a poking sensation in his left cheek. With a pained groan he cracks one eye open.

“Oi, asshole, wake up! I know you're not dead!”

All he could give was another groan in response. The image above him cleared after blinking carefully a few times. How did he end up on the floor? He couldn't remember much, but somehow the blond boy hovering over him seemed strangely familiar... ah, yes, he'd been the one that flung his chamber pot at his head. Which would also explain his headache.

Less than gracefully but driven by years as a fighter Otabek scrambled up and brought some distance between them. As small as the distance might be in his tiny chamber. His fingers wandered down to his boot, but only found his socks. Damn, he really would've felt better with his dagger at hand.

“Woah, there, human, no reason to get hostile.”

“Hostile?” he croaked, holding his pounding head. “You knocked me down with my chamber pot!”

“Let's just all be glad that it's been empty, ok?”

“Who...?”

“Still haven't figured it out?” The boy flashed him a taunting and cruel smirk. His vision had finally cleared enough so he could take a good look at him. Long blond strands fell over sharp features and framed eyes in an impossible color. Their pupils were dilated, but as he squinted Otabek could see them drawing into slits. Just like a...

“The cat... you... you're...”

“Took you long enough, asshole.” The cat/ the boy? Leaned back on his heels and seated himself with crossed legs next to his bed, his palms flat on his calves in a gesture that promised no threat. Otabek felt himself relaxing and allowed the tension to slip out of the room as he equally slid out of his crouch in a sitting position.

“Who...?” was all he managed to croak out, confusion and disbelieve swirling behind is eyes. He'd heard of several magical beasts that could take on human form, but surely those would've been worth more than ten gold pieces?

“The name's Yuri, dimwit.”

“Wha-... what are you!?”

“Wow, that's rude, you know?” He received a fiery glare.

Otabek threw him a deadpan look in return. “Do you know what else is rude? Whacking people on their heads with chamber pots.”

“Would you please stop with your obsession over that damn chamber pot?!” Otabek must've winced at the loud voice, because the boy in front of him deflated a bit and reached out with one hand cautiously.

“Here,” he offered and retrieved his hand. On the floor between them glittered a single flower made of ice. “For your... uhm, head. I'm sorry, I panicked.”

“What is this?”

“Duh, Magic?”

“I see,” he said as he pressed the ice against the now prominent lump, which he could feel beneath the longer parts of his hair. With a sigh he couldn't contain he felt the sharp edges of pain numbing down pleasantly.

“Thank you.”

“Don't mention it.” Several more minutes of silence ticked by as the two young meneyed each other from head to toe. Of course the blond had to be a magical creature, he radiated beauty in an ethereal way, too bright and catching for a mere human. If the cat like eyes and the golden spun hair weren't a sure give-away, the pointed ears were for sure. Even the permanent scowl couldn't damage the picture.

“Uhm, would you mind to uhm wear something?”

A sly smile graced over those thin lips as Yuri became aware of the embarrassed little blush. “Ah, I forgot how much you humans love your concept of clothes.” Otabek merely nodded at this, in his mind already thinking if his spare tunic would fit the other one. But as he looked up again the boy no longer was in his nudes, but dressed in a simple light green tunic with soft looking pants, that clung tightly to his long legs. His feet though remained bare.

Otabek blinked owlishly. “Forgive my rudeness again, but not an hour ago I thought you were a mere luckycat and now you conjure clothes within seconds. I have to ask you, what are you and why are you here?”

Another smirk played over the sharp and handsome features. “You think I am a luckycat? Hah! Don't you dare to compare me to those critters! I am a Cad Sidhe! Among our kind the King of Cats is selected!”

“The King of Cats,” he repeated flatly. Of course he’d heard of Cad Sidhes, who hadn’t? They were said to be powerful fae in the shape of fire clad cats, who could lure wanderers from their paths with fen fires. If you could catch them by their tails they would grant you a wish for their freedom, but catching them would burn your skin and bones, scarring you in return.

  
The young man looked like nearly twenty years of age, but with the smug grin on his face he appeared almost child like.

“Aren’t Cad Sidhes associated with fire?”

“Of course we are, are you dumb?”

“Then why the ice?” At this the cat puffed with pride.

“Ah, you see, I’m the apprentice of the great wizard Victor Nikiforov!” Otabek’s brows drew together in confusion. He knew about the mage, said to be associated with the royal court itself. A wizard half fae, half human, but with tremendous power and an charming personality. Yet he’d never heard of the wizard to take in apprentices, rather…

“You mean you’re his familiar? But then you would’ve head his protect-“ it was subtle at first, but suddenly like a spinning coin the atmosphere within the small room shifted. The shadows crept from their corners, the light from the window dulled and Otabek felt very hot and very cold at once.

“I am _not_ his familiar!” he hissed with venom in his voice. Slowly Otabek jerked his head in an apologetic nod and the shadows retreated.

They tried to stare each other down after that.

“You haven’t answered my second question. Why are you still here?”

At this Yuri broke his glare and pouted at his toes instead. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here because of your dashing smile. You never smile, do you? I’d be out of here in a second… but the thing is… I can’t…”

“You can’t,” Otabek parroted to urge the cat to continue.

“Yeah, asshole, I can’t! Because you saved my life and now I owe you mine in return! So if you, maybe, dunno, could walk from the roof and I’d stop you…?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Urgh, do you have any other expressions than stoic granite?”

“…”

“Apparently not!” With an exaggerated sigh Yuri leaned back heavily at the bed. The ice had melted by now and Otabek felt clear enough again to straighten up from his hunched position.

“So you can’t leave until you’ve saved my life in return?”

“Or if I’ve done enough to repay you.”

“I see…”

“Yeah…”

“Uhm, how did you end up with those merchants anyway? They have a guild house in this town, but usually they deal with… less sentient creatures than you.”

  
The guild was actually a rather wealthy one, with their main house in the central city, the biggest city in the country. They'd specialized in trading with magical items, but mostly with creatures, earning them the name of Beast Guild. A name whispered in awe and fear alike. The King had a blind eye for the merchant's practices, as long as the connections with the elven courts wouldn't be too disturbed. A low elf here and there, no noble, was tolerated from both sides. Yet it remained what it was. A guild of slave traders.

Again the pouty look to his toes. “They caught me off guard. This talisman you cut from me? That’s a rather powerful spell. It kind of short circuits your magic. You can’t think clear, you can’t move, you can’t call your magic…” he threw a nasty glare at the collar that still sat on top of the bed, yet visibly flinched away from it.

“But how could they catch you off guard, if you’re that powerful?” At this the pale cheeks visibly blushed.

“You see… we cats, we uhm… we grow with the seasons in our youth… and in the last spring I grew… a lot… I’m still not used to being… big…”

Yuri didn’t know if he should be offended or delighted as the stoic face of the soldier morphed into one of confusion.

“Big..? But… you’re merely the size of a house cat…?”

Yuri snorted, undignified and dismissive.  
And then changed forms.

Otabek had to blink rapidly so his brain would follow what his eyes saw. It was as if the boy’s outlines washed out and in the next moment the cat stood before him again, though it didn’t stay as it was. It grew. Fast.

  
After the next blink it was the size of a panther, a low growl already audible. But it didn’t stop there, it got bigger and bigger. Suddenly Otabek saw himself confronted with a wall of blackish purple fur, enveloping him from all sides. He rose his hands in defense, yet all he could grab was feathery-like softness. The fur held an unique texture, it was pleasant to the skin, but rough in the single strands. And it was very very warm. He was already sweating by now.

The massive body of the creature pressed him into the wall and Otabek found himself immobilized by fluffiness.

“I get your point,” he mumbled, trying hard not to open his mouth too wide. The body beneath the fur vibrated and a second later Otabek realized it was laughter.

“ _I mean big when I say big_.” He heard a voice, Yuri’s voice, in his head. Suddenly there was fresh air on his face again and Yuri, again clad the simple tunic (Otabek was very thankful he didn’t appear naked before him again), stood as a human before him. A smug grin adorning his features.

Before Otabek could react in any way a sharp knock shook his wooden door. The two boys exchanged similar looks of confusion and concern.

“Altin! Open up!” His Captain’s voice was accompanied by another bang. Left without any choice Otabek moved and opened the door. Outside stood four men, his Captain and Mezir who threw him an encouraging smile, a man clad in expensive looking cloth and the handler from the caravan that had attempted to kill Yuri. The scratch marks stood stark red against the white of his face and judging from the hunch in his shoulders he’d took quite some beating recently. His left eye started to swell up.

“Altin, this is the Lord Norgrin, one of the Masters of the Beast Guild and our direct client for the last mission. He came to me because he was looking for you?”

“Is this the man?” The Guildmaster ignored the implied question of the Captain and shoved the handler violently.

“Yes, Master, that’s the soldier I sold the luckycat,” he winced harshly and tried to make himself even smaller.

“Soldier Alton, I’ve come to notice that one of my handlers sold you a luckycat during the latest caravan, which arrived just this morning and which you’ve protected so well together with your fellow comrades. You see, this deal proofed to be a mistake as the cat was already sold and promised to a collector. We’d gladly refund you double the price for your inconvenience if you could return the cat?” The Master’s voice was oily and dripping sweet and all three soldiers held an equal repulsed look in their eyes.

“I’m very sorry, Master Norgrin,” Otabek begun, but was interrupted by his Captain.

“Who’s that, Altin?” The attention of the four men snapped to a point behind Otabek and he knew that Yuri must’ve been in plain view all of the time. Yet he didn’t survive years on the battle field without some particular skills.

“My brother in law, Captain,” he replied without missing a beat.

“One of your sister married?”

Otabek underlined his next words with a little pained sigh. “My future brother in law, Captain. Aliya, my youngest sister, she’s always been somewhat of a free spirit, you see? And chose not to wait for her older siblings to marry and her… fiancé at least tried to follow protocol and ask my permission.”

“Is she already pregnant?” Of course Mezir wasn’t one to follow protocol. Otabek glanced pointedly back into the room and Yuri followed the play as he huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“I sure hope not. For him.”

“I love her, that should be enough!”

The Guildmaster was surely losing patience and cleared his throat rather roughly.

“My apologies, my Lord. As I wanted to say, I’m very sorry, but I don’t have the cat anymore.”

“You sold it? Within the two hours after your return? To whom?”

“I didn’t sell it, Guildmaster, I set it free.” At this the eyes of the merchant went comically wide and also the handler looked up in surprise from the floor.

“You set a creature free, that you’ve just payed ten gold pieces for?!”

“It seemed too cruel to me, Guildmaster. Uhm, you can have the collar back, but, if it’s possible I’d like to keep the cage? It’s good iron and I wanted to ask our blacksmith if he can forge me some arrow heads from it?” He held the leather piece up for the merchants to see and the Master couldn’t stop gaping as he took it hurriedly.

“Because it seemed too cruel? No one in their right mind would throw ten gold pieces away like this!” His voice was reaching a high point.

“Erm, my Lord, if I might add, Otabek’s exactly the kind of guy who would do that,” Mezir leaned forward, a face splitting grin on his features. “You see, he’s just an _honest_ guy!” The way he said it left the room unclear whether it was meant as praise or insult.

The sweet demeanor was gone from the merchant and he seized Otabek up and down in obvious disgust. Without a further word and just a curt nod towards the Captain he grabbed the handler under his arm and dragged him with him.

As soon as the intruders have left the corridor the three mercenaries relaxed visibly.

“Otabek, I sure hope you know what you’re doing,” his Captain sighed and eyed him cautiously before he fixed his gaze on Yuri again.

“What about Aliya now? Will you give us your blessing?” Yuri quipped up from the room, his voice full of stubborn hope. Otabek had to give him credit for his acting skills.

“Sir, I need to request a week of vacation to settle the things in my family.”

The Captain nodded slowly, obviously deep in thought. “There aren’t any assignments on which I’d need you direly, so I think it’s okay. Take one of the horses from the last row in the stable.”

“Sir?” The last row was reserved for the older war horses, which did their dead in battle already. They were being sold slowly if convenient for the barracks.

“You’ll travel faster by horse. And if you decide to give your sister to… him, give her the horse as a wedding gift. If not you may return with it.”

“Sir!” Both Mezir and Otabek saluted as the Captain turned to leave. Once gone, Otabek shoved past Yuri and collected his bag with a heavy sigh he couldn’t contain. He didn’t even have the chance to wash himself at all. But with the Best Guild on Yuri’s heels it wasn’t safe here anymore. The faelike boy had said he was bound to him, so he could at least take responsibility for the live he'd saved.

  
He'd worked plenty of times with those peoples and he knew the kind of man that Norgrin was. He wouldn't let it got. Depending on how much was in it for him, he would hunt the cat down till the end of the worlds. They had to go.

“And you really knocked Aliya up, chap?” Mezir leaned lazily against the door frame.

“Please don’t talk like that about the moon of my life!” Otabek shuddered inwardly at the sticky sweetness in Yuri’s voice, nothing like the cursing and snarling youth just moments before.

“I’d also appreciated if you wouldn’t talk like that about my sister?” Mezir grinned again but held his hands up in defeat.

Otabek passed him on his way out and put a hand on his shoulder. “Keep an eye on that guild for me while I’m away, will you?”

“You sure got yourself into some deep shit, hm, Altin?”

“Maybe. I hope not.”

 

“What was that about?” Yuri asked as he followed Otabek into the stables. The mercenary selected a horse he’d ridden before and proceeded to saddle it when he threw the boy a knowing glance.

“You don’t survive with just one pair of eyes out there.”

Yuri huffed. “Maybe that’s true for you humans. I for myself am very fine on my own.” Otabek cocked merely a eyebrow, wisely not stating that Yuri could’ve only escaped the guild with his help.

“We need to bring some distance between us and the guild. You seem rather valuable for them. I’m sure it won’t take long for them to come at me again.” With that he swung himself into the saddle and offered a hand down to the blond boy.

Yuri eyed the horse suspiciously.

“Are you coming or not?”

With a defeated sigh he took the offered hand and was hoisted up behind Otabek on the horse. Together the soldier and the cat rode out of the gate.

 

–

 

It was the crisp of summer and the days have already started to get a lot longer. The light of the day lasted them well enough into the evening and they could make a good amount of distance. Not enough for Yuri’s liking, but at least enough to ease the prickling sensation at the back of his neck where he still felt the imprinting of the talisman on his skin.  
It didn’t take him long to confirm his initial feeling that he didn’t like horses. Well, that’s not entirely true. He liked this horse, its good nature character providing him with a lot of information about the humans in the barracks and their surrounding countryside. But it was an old man and old men liked to ramble a lot so Yuri tuned him out soon enough.

No, he absolutely despised traveling by horse. That much he could tell after one hour on the road, judging by the pain in his behind.  
He still couldn’t pinpoint the man in front of him exactly. He hadn’t said another word after they’d left the soldiers. Yet it was a comfortable silence, rather than the absence of conversation.

 

Yuri had only told him half of the truth. For one it was true that he was bound to the human, unable to leave his side in the intention of leaving him for good. That pact would hold him until he’d saved the humans life in return of if he’d done a deed grand enough to measure up to a life. What the Cad Sidhe hadn’t told him was that Yuri practically belonged to Otabek now. He’d stumbled from one slavery into the other. If the man decided to command him he had to obey his wishes; his only chance of the sliver of freedom was to keep it a secret.

A deep sigh escaped him at the thought. And that was when he’d actually finally had started to appreciate his new found freedom after… No! He wouldn’t think back to that!  
Hot and well known anger shot through his eyes as he thought back at the day the guild had caught him. It had been embarrassingly stupid on his side. Prancing on two legs instead of four through the forest his former mentor had last been seen, shouting his name and the additional curse in his direction. He’d got word from a nymph that the wizard had traveled through it and it was too close to his current location for Yuri to ignore. All of his hatred for the man be damned. Thankfully his instincts had told him soon enough that he was being stalked and he’d opted to bolt for an escape rather than to fight. Something that grated on his pride, but the last self-inflicted injury was still prominent in his memory.

Yet as soon as he dashed into the opposite direction of his pursuers he’d noticed his mistake. In his haste and anger he took his new form, coming to him uncalled and unbidden. A misjudged leap later and he got stuck between two young trees. He’d managed to burn himself free, but it had slowed him down enough for the hunters to catch up to him.

  
All it took was one touch from the engraved metal piece thrown in his direction and his mind shut down completely and immediately. He thought back to it with a shudder.

  
Such powerful devices were too dangerous in the hands of men.

  
What came next was just a blur in his memory. He was awake and yet he wasn’t. The spell seeped deep into his bones and made him weak and small. The iron of the cage and the power of the talisman burned deeply onto his soul. For him, a being of fire that mastered ice, the sensation of being burned was a entirely foreign one.

  
He drifted in and out of consciousness, if awake he felt as if his body was separated from his mind. He remembered that sensation. That and the constant pain.

  
It was until a rough and stinky hand interrupted his agony and the only thing came to him that he could always rely on. His anger, his ire. He collected the last powers he had and fought with everything he’d left, as tiny as it may be. It was only rewarded with more pain.

  
But after that he felt warmth again. Not the burning heat of the dreaded metal, but the faint glow of kindness, the body heat of another being. Gentle hands caressed him and eased his pain.

He honestly couldn’t apologize for the way he’d reacted when the _hotpainnodon’t_ fog was finally lifted from his mind. He changed and grabbed the first weapon within reach and flung it onto the only other person in the room. He bolted again, only to be repelled by an invisible force and it wasn’t until then that the events during his captivity flooded back into his mind.

Yuri looked down at the unconscious human. The one that had saved his life.  
His new Master.

And now he sat behind him on this nonstop talking horse, his ass sore and with no plan on what to do next.

“Is there a particular reason you’re leaving the road? Is this the way to your family?”

Otabek, who had steered the horse over a deer’s trail now, remained steadfast as always. “My family’s home is down the western road when leaving the city. We’re on the southern one that lead’s into the mountains.”

“So, we’re not going there?”

“It would be an obvious destination. That Guildmaster can maybe be arrogant but not stupid; not in his position. They’ll draw the connection soon.”

Yuri suddenly felt very dumb. Of course it was obvious. “But won’t that put your family in danger?”

At this Otabek shifted finally a little in discomfort. “I admit I am worried, I can’t help it. Though my sisters are pretty capable of defending themselves.”

Beneath the trees the light was already dim and as Otabek felt the horse slowing down he pulled the reigns for a stop next to a little stream. “We departed too hastily, I don’t have much oat with me for him,” he said and stroked the neck of the old horse with care.

“Eh, don’t worry, he’s been on it nonstop of how he looks forward on munching himself through the forest’s greenery. Save the oats for another day.”

Yuri received a curious look in return. Or at least he thought the soldier looked curious, it was really hard to tell. The fact that Yuri never had payed much attention to humans in the past, (or any other creatures outside his very secluded circle) didn’t help much either.

“You talked to the horse?”

“Yeah?” starting to feel unnerved by the steady stare he huffed and crossed his arms. “His name’s Horace and he’s like all old men, can’t shut up at all! Wait, you mean, you can’t?”

“I fear I’ve never been able to communicate with any animal so far.”

“Is that a human thing?”

“I suppose so. We’re not very magical to begin with.”

Yuri snorted. “I noticed. You’re as magical as a rock.”

“How charming.”

“It’s true, though. The only magical thing about you is that sword you carry. It has an iron core and runes on the hilt. I think it’s a spell that distracts arrows.”

Otabek, who had started to erect a small make shift camp, paused in his actions and cautiously drew the short sword that had rested on his back. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Yuri trying to suppress a shiver at the exposed iron. “It’s a heirloom of my father, the only thing he exclusively left for me. Though I never payed the scribbling much attention.”

The soldier stood up and pet the horse on the shout before he bound its legs together. He retrieved some things for the saddle bag on the ground and threw them at Yuri. It was a tinder box. “Do you think you can start a fire? I’ll fetch some water and then we can prepare for the night.”

At this the cat barked out a scoffing laugh and threw the box right back where it came from. Still snickering he turned away from Otabek and started collecting several branches from the forest floor. Otabek pocketed the box again and just hoped the boy knew what he was doing. He really didn’t like the idea of a night spent cold. He left the fire place with the canteen in his hand, intending to find a source of fresh water for them.

Upon his return though Otabek found a very lively fire with a very pleased Yuri. The flames had a reddish character; that and the fact that the fire was way too big already for being started just minutes ago, confirmed for Otabek that it had to have magical qualities. He wondered how food roasted over this fire would taste like.

“I hope that answers your question _if I can make fire_ ,” his tone was pure mocking. Otabek only shook his head with the tiniest of a smile. As if he wanted to say _should’ve known it._

They shared some dry meat in silence. They would need to buy some more provisions suitable for a longer journey in the next days, as well as an additional water hose. He usually kept all of his belongings in his soldier’s bag, which came in handy now, but he’d just returned from a week long trip before he met Yuri. But that was a problem for tomorrow. He eyed the blond boy and noticed the dropping eyes and the strain in his back, obviously not used to ride all day.

“I’ll take the first watch, you can sleep.”

“Oh, no, it’s okay, you can sleep, I’ll keep watch.”

The two men eyed each other within a sudden tensed atmosphere. It was obvious none of them would budge as they glared at each other over the fire. Oh so subtle their body language shifted.

“Really, it’s okay, you’re obviously tired. I’m used to riding for weeks.”

“Don’t you dare to take me lightly, soldier. I’m made of harder stuff. I can take a day or a month on horseback.”

“No need to push yourself.”

“No need to push yourself either. You’ve just came back from a mission, eh?”

“I’d rather take the first watch, thank you.”

“So do I…”

They eyed each other for a long time, only the flickering of the fire piercing the silence of the forest.

“You don’t trust me,” Yuri suddenly hissed.

“And you don’t trust me as well. Though I cannot really blame you.”

Suddenly Yuri was onto him, leaping straight through the flames and faster than he could blink. His warm body pressed down on Otabek, trapping one arm between them and pinning the other with his foot to the ground. He craned his neck in instinct as he felt sharp claws at his throat, those breathtakingly green eyes boring into him. Their slits needle sharp, though with the fire in his back now they dilated more and more.

“Believe me, sell sword, if I could’ve killed you, I would’ve done so a long time ago.”

With a little jerk he perked down and saw a small bronze knife poking from Otabek’s trapped fist into his abdomen, right over his navel.

“It wouldn’t be wise to underestimate me either, Cad Sidhe.” The beautiful face was torn into a grimace of distaste.

With a huff Yuri got up and released the trapped soldier. He flicked his hair over his shoulder and vanished. Otabek had to blink several times before he cast his eyes downwards and saw the little cat again; now prancing to the nearest tree, both tails held high. He climbed it with ease and settled his little body on a thick branch. If Otabek wanted to attack him in his sleep he would have to climb the tree first. The fire reflected eerily in his eyes.

“You know, you can also call me by my name? It’s Otabek, if you haven’t got it yet.”

He got nothing in response. Only the glowing orbs closed and their light went out. With a small sigh Otabek sat up straighter and prepared himself for the first watch.

 

–

 

The next day Yuri opted to to change into the little cat Otabek knew already and hopped in one fluid jump on the horses back behind the soldier. The cat's fur rose in a light challenge as Otabek couldn't suppress the amused spark in his eyes.

  
They passed a little village and as Otabek dismounted to buy some provisions the cat leaped onto his shoulder and curled around his neck like a living fur collar. He'd wrapped one of his tails neatly around his body and despite the unusual pattern of his coat he'd pass as a normal house cat like this. Otabek had to resist the urge to rise his hands in order to scratch Yuri behind the ears, the sharp claws of the night before still fresh in his memory. Yet it was hard to not to be amused by him in this form. The angry young man, full of spite and teeth and a sharp tongue just wouldn't fit into this tiny fluffy creature.

The cat hissed at the vendor, but went docile when a little girl in the arms of his mother reached out and somewhat clumsily stroked the curved back draped over Otabek's shoulder.

Maybe he was not all claws and hisses.

 

“ _Admit it, you have no plan as where to go, do you?”_ Otabek heard the voice in his head again, accompanied by a strange but not unpleasant echo.

“I'm following the road, if you haven't noticed the cobblestone yet.”

“ _That's not what I mean.”_

“Yeah?”

“ _Yeah.”_

“Ok.”

“ _Fuck, what I mean is, do you even have a plan?”_

“I have many plans would you specify?”

“ _You said you wanted to bring distance between the Guild and us and that you can't return to your your company soon. Which leads me to the question: where the fuck are you going!? And in extension? Where the fuck are you dragging me?”_

“I've planned,” if Yuri didn't know by now that the other man wasn't capable of any alteration in his tone whatsoever he would've sworn it sounded mocking, “to cross the mountains in a criss cross pattern and try to reach the western capital. It's a busy town with a harbor, easy for a man and a cat to hide.”

Yuri's breath hitched. “ _A harbor? So … you mean it's close to the sea?”_

“You never been at the sea?”

Yuri shook his head and Otabek must've felt the movement of the cat's head. They'd ridden in a slow pace after the passed the last houses of the village and Yuri had migrated in front of Otabek, his warm body nestled in the fabric of his traveler's garb. “It's a beautiful sight.”

“ _Yeah, rub it in, asshole.”_

“What I mean is that I'll take you to the sea. So that you can judge for yourself.”

Both man and cat opted to settle into a comfortable silence. Otabek calculated; they'd pass a little town on his planned route and it would hopefully only take them some three days until they'd reach the mountains. He hoped he could lose any possible pursuers there.

 

–

 

“Have you been to many places?”

“I have. As much as I hate my work, it has its perks.”

“You don’t like being a soldier?”

“I don’t like violence.”

“Then you’ve picked a poor job.”

“It’s not like I had a choice. Somebody had to earn money for the family and I never had the chance to learn a trade.”

“I see.”

“How about you? Have you been around a lot?”

Yuri, who stepped in light steps beside Horace over the dwindling mountain path, was once again human and shook his head. “No, I cannot say that. It’s always been just my Grandfather and I and after … and later I’ve always just lived with Victor.”

“Victor was your… teacher, right?”

“Something like that, yeah… he liked to travel a lot, but never took me with him on his longer travels.” _And one day he just didn’t return…_

  
Otabek must’ve sensed his gloomy thought because he didn’t prod any further into the matter.

“Do you think we’re still being followed?” Yuri asked in a small voice.

“Depends.”

“On what?”

“Your worth.”

“What?!” It was funny. Otabek had to suppress a smile. At his irritated outburst Yuri’s hair fluffed up a little before he gained control over himself again.

“I mean, it depends on how much you’re worth to the guild. If you’re worth just a tiny bit more than the price I paid for you, I don’t think they’ve followed us as far as the mountains. But if there’s really a patron behind it or if you’re worth more than the man they’re paying…”

“Oh… “

Yuri leaped on a particular large boulder that littered the roadside with as much grace and strength as his feline counterpart. It was their third day on the road and after the first night they’d somewhat forged a truce when it came on taking watch. The countryside had changed from the lazy green slopes that surrounded the central city to rougher paths, thick pine forests and steep hills. Soon they’d enter the real mountains where not much greenery would grow.  
Otabek had yet to figure out what it was with Yuri’s clothes. The cut seemed to be the same, yet its color changed ever so lightly each day. And he’d never seemed to take them off. He was cleaning himself once in a little lake (very fast, cats didn’t like water after all) and he was naked one moment ago and clothed the next. The only constant was the absence of any kind of footwear. No matter the terrain, Yuri would always walk barefoot.

“We need to find a place to camp soon.”

“Why? We still have some hours left of daylight.”

“We’re too close to the mountains. We could wander for hours and not finding a suitable place. And I for myself can think of better nights than to spend them on the side of the road.”

Maybe it was his imagination, but his initial impression had proofed correct, any kind of food prepared over the flames that were generated by Yuri (he just flickered his hand and it somewhat sprang to live. Otabek, who spent many cold and wet nights when the flint just didn’t want to work, could hardly contain his envy) had a certain lingering taste in the back of his mouth. A sweetness, that drifted towards the bitterness, yet not unpleasant at all.

Otabek voiced his observation as they’d finally made rest between several foundlings some meters away from the path, dried fruit and some fish propped on sticks near the flames.

“You think so?”

“I wouldn’t say it, if I’d think otherwise.”

“Eh, that’s strange… but then again I’ve never tasted food prepared on lifeless flames.” Otabek, who didn’t know what Yuri could mean with lifeless, quirked an eyebrow in question. “Well, it was always either Victor or I conjuring some flames for cooking. Not that Victor’s been any good at it. He’s a helpless cause. But my Grandpa always made the most delicious foods!” His gaze got a dreamy character.

“What kinds of food?”

“Oh, I’ve always loved how he seasoned the elbows…”

“Elbows.”

“Yes, you know? You humans do at least have ONE great quality and that’s your taste!” Yuri pulled his eyes open in a dramatic fashion and pranced closer to Otabek, who clutched his chest equally in mock fear at the approaching mystical cat beast. They both grinned at each other and Yuri opened his mouth to say something, but no sound would escape his lips. His brows knit in confusion as his lips tried to form words.

  
Suddenly, as if hit by an invisible force, his eyes rolled and he flopped to his side, clawing desperately on his throat and his chest jerked violently in the struggle to pump air into his body.

  
Otabek was up in an instant, but before he could get to his companion he felt the very sharp tip of a blade on his throat.

“Not one move, mate,” Otabek glanced upwards and saw no other than the handler. Even though it’s been several days already, the scratch marks still looked as if they’d bleed from time to time. He crudely shoved one of his arms on the back and pressed the knife a little tighter to Otabek’s neck.

He’d probably already nicked the skin, but all the soldier could think about was Yuri, who lay still in a silent struggle on the ground, heaving in sporadic violent dry intakes of breath.

  
More men rounded the foundlings and Otabek saw himself confronted with the guild official that had visited him in the barracks. Guild Master Lord Norgrin only threw the confined man a deprecatory glance, before he bent down and clasped a golden metal cuff around Yuri’s wrist. It would’ve looked pretty, if the impact if had on the blond wouldn’t be so drastic. Yuri had writhed intensely before, but now he was as still as a corpse.

Dread and fear pooled in Otabek’s gut. The man who held him tightened his harsh grip on his arm.  
He could smell blood and saw dark red ripples crawling from under the golden shackle, the metal or the spell etching into his very skin.

Otabek was helpless as the man pulled the motionless Yuri up by one arm, a trail of bloodied saliva trickling from his parted lips. The guild member pulled the flaxen strands backwards and proceeded to examine the now slack and unresponsive face. Otabek must’ve jerked again as the man shoved some fat fingers into the mouth and inspected the boy’s teeth as if he was a mere cattle on the market.

“It’s the Cad Sidhe. And it seems it’s still in good shape,” he announced and several of his men started to move. One was guiding a horse in front of a carriage that housed a cage that was way too similar to the one in Otabek’s possession.

“And as for you, my dear mercenary, I thank you for taking care of our goods, but I don’t think we’ll need your service any further,” accompanied with a cruel smirk the official nodded towards the handler.

“Any last words, mate?”

Otabek had never been one of many words. He didn’t try to wrestle the knife out of the man’s hand, but grabbed his wrist and used the momentum to pull it upwards past his own face until it collided with a very satisfying wet sound with the larynx of the man. In one fluid movement he got to his feet, sword already drawn. Before any of the other men could react in any way, the guard next to the horse stared down on the hilt buried in his chest. The animal shied violently at the sudden smell of too much blood streaming out of the wound, kicking another man in return.

No, Otabek had never talked much. But he was fast.  
The short sword only aided him in his swift movements, as it reduced the range of his swing, adding to it a deathly precise.

The tip of the blade sliced through the throat of another guard, that came to him screaming with an upraised sword; he must be a handler and no soldier. He was wide open for Otabek’s blade. The spray of blood blinded the fourth man and Otabek duck under his clumsy thrashing, suddenly in front of Norgrin. The plump man stared at him wide eyed and if he wouldn’t have held Yuri’s body in front of his own, Otabek would’ve pierced him equally. Yet know all he could do was aim a well-intended kick at the man’s temple. In the spin of his movement he took his time to ram the dagger in his other hand into the belly of one of the two men that were still standing. The sixth one had wisely kept his distance, but blew now a horn, it’s howling sound reverberating between the big stones. He was calling for backup.

Otabek crouched down and lifted Yuri like a sack over his shoulder, his long legs and bare feet momentarily dragging over the ground. He dashed uphill only to turn left and downhill again in the hope of evading the approaching reinforcements.

  
There are more graceful things to do than running at night through a very dark forest, but it couldn’t be helped right now. He tripped over roots and low hanging branches whipped into his face, yet he struggled to move, move, move them to safety.  
Two pines parted and his heart skipped a beat as a dark shadow appeared before him.

“Horace?” he croaked hoarsely. The horse had somehow got rid of his reigns and had followed Otabek, now gently nudging him with his snout. His chest was burning by now and his legs protested under Yuri’s weight. Behind him he could hear the frantic sounds of his pursuers over his own labored breathing, by now doubt already on his trail. He tossed the limp body unceremoniously over the bare back and climbed with some struggle behind him. He grabbed the coarse mane and nudged his foot into the animal’s side, galloping upwards again. He clutched Yuri close to him and it suddenly came to him how agonizingly cold the boy felt under his grip.

\--

He rode well into the morning, until Horace couldn’t be bothered to move any more. The old horse stood rooted stubbornly in a wide clearing, grass all around them. Otabek glided from its back, dragging Yuri down with him and into his arms. He winced in pain. While he was used to ride for a longer time, dashing on the bare back of the horse left his thighs and behind wounded and open. Horace trotted some more steps until he stood under the single tree on the meadow, let his head hang down and Otabek could’ve sworn he’d heard the horse snoring.

“Yuri?” he whispered and grimaced at the fright in his tone. He got no response. The boy in his arms was like a mere doll, boneless and with glassy eyes staring into nothing. Otabek brought his lips to the nose and could detect the faintest of breath, enough for him to feel, but not enough for the chest to move.

With the ebbing adrenaline in his system he could finally think of something else than flight and examined the golden bracelet around Yuri’s wrist. His fingers were ice cold by now, the nails already turned blue. It was a beautiful trinket, polished to shine and engraved with entrancing and swirling runes that seemed to dance with each other the more Otabek looked at them. Sadly the shackle was clad seamless around the thin arm, no lock or hinge for him to pick. It was as if it had sealed itself onto the boy.

Otabek rubbed his face and tried to think. The jewelry was obviously a similar kind to the collar Yuri’d worn when he’d first met him. The character of the runes and the effect were familiar, though this one here seemed to be much more potent.  
What had Yuri told him? It short circuited his magic? Numbed his mind?  
He couldn’t doubt his words as he arranged Yuri more comfortable in his arms.

The collar had lost its effect as soon as he’d removed it from Yuri’s body, but this one here seemed to have a wider range, judging from the suffocating behavior as the guild men had approached them.

Otabek had to think at his sword. Yuri had told him that the runes in the hilt spelled arrows away, yet all in all it was still a sword. With or without the runes. So maybe the bracelet would just be a bracelet if he’d destroy the script on it?

Carefully he took the cold hand in his and retrieved one of his remaining daggers from his boot. Besides the sword of his father he’d made it a habit to carry several knifes at his body. Some of them, like the one in his sleeve, weren’t made of steel or iron and thus undetectable for magical creatures of many kinds. They had saved his life a lot.

He placed the tip over the biggest letter and scraped a deep scratch into the glittering metal.  
There was no change in Yuri.  
Maybe it just wasn’t the right rune?

Again and again he dragged the blade over the gold, it’s surface soon littered with marks, until suddenly Yuri drew a sharp loud breath and jerked up in his arms. And then the world exploded.

It was hot, very very hot. As if he’d stood in the bright sun of the dessert, at noon, near a fire, in his winter clothes. But he was, in fact, in the middle of a fire ball that erupted from the boy in front of him.  
Yet the fire didn’t burn him. It was just very… hot.

Yuri changed rapidly in his lap, suddenly the little cat again, then the boy, his legs hurt under the weight of the tall tiger, back to the cat until it settled into the blonde young man again. His closed eyes fluttered gently open and a tremor ran through his body.

“…bek,” his voice was raw and full of pain. Tears dared to pool under the lashes.

“Sh, it’s okay, Yuri, you’re save. I’m with you,” the boy curled into himself and buried his head in the soldier’s lap. If possible Otabek felt even more helpless as before and he clumsily pet the blond hair as he politely ignored the dampness seeping into his pants from Yuri’s silent tears.

It took the cat some moments until he got up to a sit in a very stiff motion. He picked his hair behind his ears and quickly his look morphed into a shocked one.

“Otabek… you’re… are you okay? There’s so much… blood…?”

For the first time the soldier looked down on his soiled clothing. His face wouldn’t betray him, but he was sure Yuri could sense the bottomless feeling in his guts.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry, it’s not mine.” There must’ve been a tremor in his voice, because Yuri rose one trembling hand and cautiously cradled Otabek’s cheek. They were very close and Otabek couldn’t by all means decipher the look in those striking eyes. Concern, guilt, fear and… something else?

“I- I should clean myself,” he stood up abruptly, looked around and finally marched into the direction of a little gurgling stream that crossed the field. Methodically he removed his vanguards, his leather harness and finally the blood seeped tunic underneath. It wasn’t until he crouched down to wash his red stained hands that his body betrayed him and his hands started trembling violently. Unbidden pictures of blood and horrified looks flooded his minds, yet his body proceeded on its own, washing his arms, his chest, his face.

Suddenly two very warm arms wound themselves around his body, a warm and soft chest pressed to his bare back.

“You said you didn’t like violence,” Yuri mumbled into his shoulder.

“I don’t,” he said and went silent again. The calling of numerous birds filled the air and nothing else. Then just a whisper. “I really don’t. But I’m just good at it.”

“Come,” Otabek was gently pulled backwards and suddenly he landed in very soft fur, cradling him from all sides. “ _You’re exhausted, you’ve fought many and ridden all night.”_ The voice reverberated in his mind again and the warmth around him started to crawl into his head.

“No… we… we… have to…”

“ _Rest. Sleep. For now.”_ A heavy weight draped himself over his body, Yuri’s twin tails blanketing him and aiding further to the enveloping heat. His body traitorous yet again as his mind drifted to sleep, guided by softness and warmth.

 

–

 

He woke up cushioned on leaves and blanketed with Yuri's tunic. Judging by the sun it had to be late afternoon and the clearing was still a peaceful one. The fabric that had been draped over his still bare torso was equally as warm as Yuri had been. So he could take it off.  
Maybe it was the same as the pelt of Selkies? His still sleep drunken mind played with the thought of putting the clothing on, but there was no way he would fit into the tight cut. Yuri might've been a head taller than him, but his shoulders were much broader.

“You're awake,” it was Yuri. He'd rounded the tree and knelt down next to him, holding up his own apparently freshly washed clothes. With a small laugh they exchanged their tunics. Yuri felt his gaze drawn to the bare torso, littered with a crisscross of light and more prominent scars.

“Otabek,” he began and the soldier felt _something_ tucking at the back of his spine. It was the first time Yuri had said his name. “You need to tell me what I am to you.”

Otabek gave him a confused look. “Why?”

“Because we're not safe here. I mean, in this world. I know of a solution, but I have to confirm some things first.”

“You're....” Otabek started, but his voice trailed off soon. Sleep and warmth were still cottoning his mind and he forcefully rubbed his face with both hands, trying to ground himself. “My grandmother said you can't pick a stone from the road just to throw it away afterwards. You told me you can't leave my side and that we're kinda stuck together. Because of that I feel responsible for you. For the thing that I've picked up, the cat that I saved.” Yuri's face wouldn't betray him and Otabek added with a little smile, “if it helps you, I also like you. You're good to travel with.”

“You could've died last night.”

“Yes.”

“But you've decided to safe me along with you, even though it only increased the risk for your own life. You can't tell me you just did it because you felt responsible for me.” Gently he reached out and touched the already crusted cut on Otabek's neck where the knife of the handler had sliced the skin.

“I- yes. You didn't have any choice as I saved you, so I'd just like to make it even?”

“But that wasn't some random act of kindness like the last time. You willingly put yourself into the line.”

“What do you want to hear from me, Yuri?” Finally the solemn expression of the blond boy was broken as he closed his eyes in a silent shudder. Otabek felt as if something had been forged between them. After all names held power and it was the first time they'd both called to each other in a conversation.

“I haven't been honest with you,” he began, suddenly evading his eyes. “I've told you I can't leave you, but there's more.”

“You mean that I uhm own you? In exchange for the life I've saved?”

“You knew?”

“I uhm somewhat know how these things work...” Otabek gave him the smallest of apologetic smiles.

“Then why have you never commanded me? You've been fully aware of your power over me the whole time?!”

“Ah, you see? It just wouldn't have been fair, right?” At this Yuri gaped at him. With a defeated groan he cushioned his forehead on Otabek's shoulder, groaning his frustration into the fabric of his tunic.

“You're impossible!” Otabek had to laugh sheepishly.

“I guess? I get that a lot.”

Yuri got up again and faced Otabek once more. Otabek couldn't help but note the sudden absence of warmth whenever Yuri stepped away from him.

“I've got all the reasons in the world to hate and curse humans,” he held up the golden shackle that still adorned his wrist in emphasis, “but I think you're the only one I trust.”

“Yuri,” he began. “You say your debt bounds you to me, but please be aware that the trust you put in me shackles me equally to your side.”

“Moron. That's just your personal code.” A breathless laugh escaped him.

“That doesn't make it any less binding.”

“I know of a place where we can hide for a while. It's a place Behind the Veil, but it's not my own so I can't speak an invitation for you. Y-you have to... command me to take you to this place. And even then it won't the easy.”

“Are you sure about this?”

For a moment Otabek would see the fear as Yuri looked down on the golden bracelet and nodded. Something had changed. While his first imprisonment had felt more like nuisance than an actual danger, this one had been different. Otabek couldn't fathom what it felt like to be confined like Yuri had been. A prisoner in his own body, unable to move, to think, only observing and hurting.  
It wasn't fear he saw, Otabek realized, it was terror. It had scared Yuri down to his very core.

“Yuri,” he said in a tone that he'd usually heard from his captain. Instantly the blond man jerked up, back straight, but his eyes somehow glossed over already at the command. “I want you to take me to the place.” It was a silent battle before him, Yuri's head jerking oh so subtle until he finally bowed his head and whispered in a hollow tone “as you wish.”  
Otabek felt sick. He vowed never to underestimate his power over the Cad Sidhe.

Thankfully it was over in a second and Yuri jumped to his feet. With a sheepish grin he extended his hand and dragged Otabek to a stand as well.

“First you need to get rid of all metal on you that's not silver or gold.”

“Wherever we're going is sure picky.”

“Oh, you have no idea!”

There wasn't much left for him to shed. With a heavy heart he wrapped his sword and his remaining knifes into his bracers, pulling it tight with his belt. His boots were cheap and didn't have iron nails in them so he could keep those.

“Don't worry, I will find this place again,” Yuri said as he noticed the mournful look on the soldier's face. He placed the bundle between two thick branches high up in the tree. “Cats find their way back home at all times, right? Now come on, the sun's setting already and it's easier during twilight.” Otabek refrained from asking what was easier at twilight and just mounted Horace with as much grace as he could muster without stirrups or a saddle.

They left the meadow and entered the forest just as the shadows started to creep longer around them. Yuri sat behind him again, but unlike before he didn't circle his arms around his waist.  
He didn't notice the fog until it had surrounded them with its crawling tendrils from all sides. With the setting sun blocked out the world around him was suddenly dipped in blues, neither bright nor dark at all. Suddenly Horace started bucking under him, whinnying high pitched as if he was in pain.

T _he horseshoes_ , he thought as he sailed down from the horse's back. He landed flat on his back and the wind was knocked out of him. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Horace galloping frantically away. The forest floor was covered with a thick layer of pine needles that clung to him as he struggled up.

“Yuri?” he called but was greeted with silence. The fall had stripped him of his sense of direction and no trails could be detected. As if they'd been washed away already. Fear started to crawl into his heart. Yuri had said it wouldn't be easy, but he hadn't anticipated to face the path alone.  
He called again for his friend as he spun around, fog all around him and he only could see the outlines of the trees. Mute guardians against the bluish gray of the fog.

His eyes caught sight of a small flame. It was burning on itself in a color that was now familiar to him in the middle of the deer's path they'd been onto, not burning its surroundings. Silently it flickered in an entrancing dance.

Otabek stepped closer and extended his hand to hover over the flame. The flame wasn't warm. His mind wasn't filled with images of green eyes, blond hair and something that run deeper. The silence of the forest pressed down on him and as he looked up he saw a trail of small flames, leading him deeper and deeper.

 _No_ , he thought, _that's not him_. All of his instincts screamed at him not to follow the luring fire's.  
It took all of his willpower, but he retrieved his hand and turned around, stoically marching into the opposite direction of the fiend fires.

After several strides the fog lifted and gave sight to a glade beneath the fog. The dark blue grass lush around his feet, ponds at all sides. A magnificent willow stood before him, its long thin branches gently dipping into the largest and deepest pond by its roots.

Before he could even register it, a sound had wound its way into his mind. The beautiful singing voice of a woman, calling to him. As soon as he'd registered what it was, he also knew that it's already been to late. The siren's song had taken root in his brain, numbing him from within, pulling him in in its spell. He felt his feet moving on their own, no longer obeying himself but the sung command from within the pond. He knew he had to snap out of it or otherwise he would be drowned, but he couldn't keep his limbs from kneeling down at the water's edge. Delicate white hands breached the surface, the voice intensified and suddenly he wished for nothing else as to be embraced by those arms forever.

A hard hand landed on his shoulder, dragging him back forcefully and with a rush reality came back to Otabek.

“Back off, hags, he's mine.”

“If it isn't my favorite kitten?” The voice coming from the right held a pleasant and mischievous chirp and as Otabek turned he saw not only Yuri standing behind him, his hand still hot on his shoulder, but also an equally incredible beautiful woman with the reddest of hair he'd ever seen. By the sound of splashing water his head turned around and he saw the now surfaced human part of the siren that had lured him. Her face was as fair as her purple eyes and even though she just resurfaced her black hair was dry and soft as it covered her bare breasts. Not sure where to set his eyes Otabek let them wander between the three mystical beings.

“Yuri...” the redhead's tone had dropped from mocking so sorrowful as she closed the gap between her and Yuri in a fast stride, catching his wrist to examine the shackle. “Oh Yuri!” her hand traced gently over the red mark on his neck where the first seal had seared into him.

“I- it's okay, baba. I'm okay. Th-this is... Beka, he-he... I owe him a life... well, two lives actually.” Beka? Ah, right, don't give faeyour name so easily. And Yuri couldn't possible now that it's been the nickname his family had given him as a child.

The woman cradled his head in her hands and observed his face intently before she cracked a snort. “Well, good to know you have nine to spare, right?”

Yuri huffed as well. “You know that's not how it works.”

“He's human,” the mermaid spoke in a melodious voice that went straight to his head again, but her tone held malice that made him sick.

“I'm ready to vouch for him. Otherwise I wouldn't have brought him with me.”

The woman in the water clicked her tongue in distaste but obviously respected that argument enough as not to drown Otabek on the spot.

“Well, swordsman, I trust my little kitten here,” the woman stemmed her hand in her hips as she stared down at his still crouching form. “My name's Mila and I'm the nymph of this willow tree. I respect the words of the Cad Sidhe, but here's a word of warning, try something funny and you're dead. Understood?”

Otabek nodded mutely. Mila grinned.

“Great! Then welcome to our glade Behind the Veile!Let your soul slouch and your body rest. No mortal can breach this domain!” She turned to Yuri. “And as for you, Yuratchka. I've got a message for you. From Victor.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, a cliffhanger! Dundundunduuuuuuuun >:3  
> I'm very sorry, but this part of the story ends here.  
> Otabek and Yuri are safe for now and Yuri finally found a lead to Victor.  
> Who, btw, didn't appear at all in that story by name! D:  
> Well, maybe we just have to see what comes next ^^


End file.
